APPENDIX C1 ************************************************************ * A NEW COMPUTER-BASED ONLINE ENVIRONMENT * ************************************************************ As part of the course, the student will learn to communicate with the teacher via a new Computer-based online system. The system uses the exciting new developments made recently on the INTERNET, a world wide network linking some 20 million people, via thousands of UNIX machines. From the start of the course, you will have to learn the HTML hypertext language, so that your class project becomes part of the network. You will have to organize your directory according to precise guidelines. Then, as you go through the course outline, you will access documents and tutorials that will provide you with the necessary information to follow the class. As you work through the course, you will develop, in your Unix account, a main menu to give, to your instructor, access to your projects and assignments. To make the communication between students and teachers more efficient, you will need to provide timely information, concerning the status of your assignments and projects, and the difficulties you are encountering in doing the assignments. Your main menu will have entries you will update regularly, to make sure that timely information always provides accurate information. * Every time you complete or update a segment of your project, specify the date of modification. * Use your weekly log to keep track of the status of the problems you are encountering, marking a problem as: i) waiting for an answer ii) problem solved iii) answer did not solve problem This new Computer-based Online system should improve considerably the level of interaction between the teacher and the students. This system has been experimented now for several consecutive terms. Its purpose is to reproduce as faithfully as possible traditional class settings: a) By posting your projects in your accounts and making them available to the class, we will reproduce the traditional class situation where a student presents his/her work to the class. b) By making your questions and my answers available to the class through a 'Daily e-mail' entry, we will reproduce the traditional problem solving class discussion. c) By reorganizing your work into a well presented paper to be submitted as a midterm project and as a final project is important for evaluation purposes. d) Finally, ECR's given at regular intervals are important to check on your status and to solve quickly major difficulties that could arise during the term. .bp